Clark Howard

“I’d prefer that you get no refund at all. If you are getting one, it means that you’ve made an interest-free loan to the government and your money has been working for them—not you—all year long.”
― Clark Howard, Clark Howard's Living Large in Lean Times: 250+ Ways to Buy Smarter, Spend Smarter, and Save Money

“Obtain a patent on the cheap I don’t have much creativity and inventiveness in this brain of mine, so I’m always impressed by those who do. Most inventions start with an “Aha!” when inventors realize they can create something that will benefit themselves and other people. Once you have your eureka moment, it’s important to do something that’s so cheap but will be so helpful down the road: Write your thoughts down on paper and mail them to yourself. For the price of a first-class postage stamp, you’ve now established a time line that proves your claim to an idea if someone else forces you into an intellectual property dispute at any point. Stay away from any organization with ads on TV telling you to contact them if you have an idea. They’ll trick you into believing they love your idea ... but need several thousand dollars to take the idea to the next level. Before you know it, you’re scammed out of thousands and are no closer to bringing the idea alive. (More on that in the next tip.) So where can you turn? Try visiting the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website at USPTO.gov. They do a pretty good job explaining the basics of patent and trademarks in something approximating English, not governmentese. I also like a book called Patent It Yourself by David Pressman. A new copy runs a little more than $30 at Nolo.com, and you can find it used for less. David explains in simple English how the whole patenting process works. His book will help you decide whether you want to proceed down the self-help path or hire an intellectual property attorney. The latter option can be pretty pricey. Getting a patent is not the most difficult part; the most difficult part is finding a market for your idea. Building a “looks like, feels like” prototype is very important if you ever hope to bring your idea to market. You need to have more than just an idea on paper. Think of this whole process as a journey, not just a single pit stop. Avoid phony inventor”
― Clark Howard, Clark Howard's Living Large in Lean Times: 250+ Ways to Buy Smarter, Spend Smarter, and Save Money